Mail-bag catcher.



' N0A.881,175. y PAENTBDMAR.1o,19os.

0. C. BRETT.

MAIL BAG GATCHER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.15,1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 881,175.1. y PATENTED MARI'. l0, 1908.

. G. BRETT.

MAIL BAG ATGHEB.

APPLICATION FILED JANJ15. 1908.

SISHEETSAHBET z.

No. 881,175. PATENTED MAR. 10, 1908. 0. C. BRETT.

MAIL BAG CAIQJER.

APPLICATION YILBD JAN.15. 1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

'amount' olI concussion or friction to a recep- OS\.\l-! C. BRETT, Ol" HUMBOLDT, KNSAQ.

MAIL-BAG CATCHER.

Specification o Letters Patent.

Patented March 10, 1908.

To 1H lelie/1i 'it muy conce/11.

Be it known thatl, Osma t. l'nnrr, a l citizen ol` the tnited States, residing in llumlooldt'.v in the county ot' Allen and State ol' 1 Kansas. have invented certain new and use-e ful improvements in Aail-Bag Catchers, olE i which the .l'ollowing is a specitication.

'lhe object.,oll mv invention is to provide novel means torreceiving mail bags l'rom moving trains.

)lailirains do not as a rule stop at all stations and usually the mail pouches for small stations are thrown to .the platl'orm from the mail car while the train is moving at high speed, lhis is dangerous to those standing near bv and injurious to the l)ags which are soon worn out and ol'ien they burst open and their contents scatterei'l. lt has hercdol'ore been proposed to provide means tor receiving mail bags trom a moving train, but so lar as l am aware these have not gone into extensive use, owing probablv to some imperl'ection in their construction.

According to m v invention l provide means l'or holding mail bags at the side ol' a mail car which are equipped with devices t'or automaticall)r releasing them when a train arrives at. a mail station and which are coustructed to hold the bags stead)r against the intluence ol the wind or pressure ot air while exposed thereto. At the station l pro* vide means l'or causing the bags to be automati :allv detached l'rom the car and l'or receiving and carrying them with a minimum tacle .'l'or sal'e keeping.

"lhe mail bag receiving device is constructed to receive and deposit bags t'rom trains moving in either direction on afsingle track, some otl the parts heilig adjustable t'or this purpose while other parts remain Ain a. tixed position,

In the accon'ipanving drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective. view ol in v improved mail bag receiving and depositing device showing its relation to a railway track and italso indicates in dotted lines a car with in v improved bag holder and the means l'or detaching the bag trourits holder and depositing it in the receiving device.. Fig. 1 a plan view oi' the same. Fig. 2 is a plan view ot' certain parts ot the receiver and the depositor`v tor the bags. lfig, 2S is a plan view ol the improved mail bag holder showing how it attached to a ear and showing also how its catch is automatically operated to release a bag. Fig. l shows a. section of the devices shown in Fig. 23 with the catch operating post' shown in elevation. Fig. is a perspective view oi' the hanger which suspends the bag in its holder. Fig, 6 is a` detail View' in seetion ot the devices employed tor locking the adjustable part olE the receiver in its adjusted position.

A indicates the tracli oi a single track railway and li indicates partlyT by dotted lines a car provided with ay mail bag holder C from which the bag Xfis suspended.

l), TY', are tripping posts provided with arms, d. which engage' the catch ot the bag holder for releasing the bag.

l`he receiver comprises two stationary troughs E, E. a pivoted chute F and a depository (l, lhe holder C comprises two parallel bars c connected at their outer ends to a ring c and provided 'iiiterinedia-te their opposite ends `with a cross bar or handle c2. The inner ends otI the bars c are bent as indicated at. ci adapting them to engage slots in metallic plates c. secured to the tloor ot the mail car a short distance lrom the door. The

arms are also provided with lugs c which engage. corresponding holes in. the plates ci placed nearer the car door than the plates c". liv Vthese devices the holder ma. v be held 'lirmlv in position or readil)v removed trom delivering position and lstored within the car when desired. From the ring c is suspended a wind shield ll shown as consisting oi sheet metal cylinder oll sutlicient size to accommodate an v size mail bag7 oi sul'licient diameter to prevent the bag swayingmueh and long enough to protect it from the wind or pressure ot aix' caused b v the rapid movement ol the train. catch bar l is pivoted to the ring c at i. and externls/diametrically across the ring and l'rom itslpivotal portion projects an operating arm t adapted'to engage` the arm or bracket d or d on the tripping post l) or D.

The bag X is suspended within the shield by means ot a. hanger J which may be attached to the bag in any suitable way and which has a slotted head j which engages the catch bar in the manner indicated. The arrangement is such that when the. arm 'i' encounters an arm d ot a tripping post, the catch bar will be turned on its pivot and disengage itself from the hanger and allow the bag to drop into one of the troughs ,E OI Jl.

Each receiving trough may be constructed in any suitable way but preferably of wood covered with sheet metal. The two troughs are similar in construction. Each consists of a long, ilat, horizontal portion e, closed at the bottom and ong sides and it is open at the top and at one end. The end-piece e', and the side-pieces e2 need not be very high but the horizontal portion of the trough is preferably from 2() to 30 ft. long. From the open end of the horizontal portion e rises the inclined portion c ofl the trough, which not only inclines upwardly but also sidewise away from the tra-cli'. This portion. of the trough is closed at the bottom and has opposite sideieces c which are 'preferably somewhat hig er than the side-pieces e2. This in clined portieri of the trough is open at the top and at each end and at its upper end it is provided with a cylindrical portion er adapted to register with the mouth of the adjustable chute F. The chute F and the troughs E, E may be supported in any suitable Way. The portions e of the troughs are arranged close to the tripping posts D, D. The adjustable chute F and the upper ends of the troughs E, E are supported in a suitable trame K. The chute F has a large flaring end adapted to register with the upper end e5 of either of the 'troughs E, E. lt gradually tapers 'from its larger end or mouth towards the opposite end of its horizontal portion and midway between its ends it is encircled by a band or ring j' to which it is firmly connected and which is mounted on a vertical pivotf in the `frame K, the arrangemerd beingl such that the chute may be swung around on its pivot through an arc of 180- so that its inouth may register with the delivering end locked to theI lower part ofthe chute and held firmly in its adjusted position. The d elivc-r ing section of the chute is curved up Wa-rdly and laterally as indicated in Fig. l and in llirf. in order that it may deliver properly the depository G when set in either'of its positions. .ln order toflocl the chute in either of its two adjusted positions, .l ','irotiile a catch M indicated in Fig. i2, and also in Fig. 0. This maybe of any suitable construction but shown in Fig. 6 comprises a spring dog lIii-which is adapted to enscarsa Afterpassing through a trough and through the chute the bag is delivered to the depository Gywhich is shown as consistingr of standards O supporting a housing P, the bottom of which consists of wire netting Q, or it may be of other suitable material. The housing is rovided with a door R to permit access .to t ie depository from one end of the housing.

lt will thus be seen that mail bags from fast moving trains may be received and de-A posited without the necessity for the pres* ence of an attendant atv the receiving station and with very little care or trouble to the mail agent on the train. It is necessary for the agent on4 the train to merel lace the holder in position with the bag in its shield and set the catch bar at the proper angle. No further attention is then re uired because as soon as the train arrives at t e station the catchbar is tripped automatically, the bag falls into the outer end of one of the troughs, slides alon the horizontal portion thereof with -very little friction and then passes up the inclined portion, enters the tubular chute, passes therefrom and is delivered to the housed depository. The inclination A.of the troughs and the chute and the curvatures given thereto is 'such as to break the force or momentum of the bag and yet the bag is subjected to comparatively little friction and its life is thereby prolonged. All the parts may bemiade substantial and durable and willrequire but little repair.

l claim as my invention:

l. A mail bag deliverer and catcher comprising a holder for the bag projecting from operating the catch to release the bag, a trough into which the bag drops and a pivoted chute re istering with the delivery end of the troug and having a discharge through which the bag is delivered.

2. The combination with a holder for suspending a mail ba y from a railway car, of a .wind shield ,carrier thereby, a catch for suspending the bag from the holder Within the shield, and an arm proj ectin from the catch for operating it to drop the ag.

3. The combination with a holderfor susn pending a mail bag from a car, of a wind shield carried by the holder, a catch for detachably suspending the bag Within the shield, and means engaging the catch for releasing the bag.

pending a mail bag lroin a car, of a wind shield carried by the holder within which the bag is suspended, a catch bar pivoted to the nected'with the bagand detaclialily connected with the catch bar.

5. A holder for suspending a mail bag from i car comprising parallel arms-having bent a car, a catch on the holder, means for member adjustable about a vertical axis 4. The combination with a holder for susv upper end cl the holder, and a hanger coneeuwse inner infima eross bar or handle connecting the arms, ,a ring connected with the outer et the arms, a cylindrical wind shield vdepending from the ring and a cat-ch bar pivotaily connected with the ring.

A, mail bag receiver comprising a trough having; a long, horizontal portion from which it inolines upwardly, a pivoted chute the nzouth of which is adapted to register with the upper end of the trough, and to whieh is pirotely ce; nec-ted a* discharge ortion curved upwar ,Y end outwardly for t ie purpose sneeiiied.

Ylille combination of the two troughs neiging upwardly inclined portions, a chute eivotally mounted between the troughs and -iiaving mouth adapted to register with the :flipper end of either trough and a pivoted section of the chute curved upwardly and outward-ly for the purpose speeiied.

' 8. The combination with a depository for inaii bags, of two troughs having upwardly inclined portions, a tubular 4chute pivoted l between the troughs and having a mouth adapted toregister with the up er end of either trough, means for locking the chute in either of its adjusted positions and a chute section pivotally mounted on the chute having a laterally projecting portion extending to the depository, and means for locking the chute section in place.

9. The combination of two troughs, each having a long, horizontal portion connecting with a portion 'inclined upwardly and outwardly, a chute ivotally mounted between the troughs and having a mouth adapted to register with the upper end of either trough and a depositoryfwith which the chute communieates.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto oseiia e. BRETT itnesses 2 CHAS. L. .MoKNrGHT, HANNA L. WOODS.

subscribed my name.' f- 

